Introducing novel light management to design a hybrid high concentration photovoltaic/water splitting system

摘要

We present a novel way to utilize high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) radiative losses and diffuse light, otherwise unused in conventional HCPV systems, to power an Imperial College designed photoelectrochemical reactor (PECR) producing H2 fuel through water splitting. A high efficiency photovoltaic (HEPV) is embedded inside a Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC). Edge emission from the radiative recombination loss mechanism in the HEPV is guided within the LSC to the PECR photocathode, whilst the LSC emitted light is guided to the photoanode. The photon streams can be independently optimised in intensity and wavelength. We demonstrate how photon streams with balanced intensity can be achieved.